History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 128

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > West Virginia > Kanawha County > Charleston > History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens > Part 128

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was a Republican. He married Sarah C. Crane, also born in Greenbrier County and she survived him, her death occurring in August, 1910, at the age of seventy-three years. They were members of the Missionary Baptist church. Five children were born to them, three of whom survive.

William F. Shawver was reared and edu- cated in his native county and for seven years taught school in Greenbrier and Fayette coun- ties. In 1893 he came to Charleston and ever since has been actively interested along his present lines, roofing, kitchen supplies and hardware, and in his present enterprise has been identified with C. P. Burdette, who is secretary and treasurer of the company, which was incorporated in 1903. As roofers this firm stands at the head of the trade, putting on roofing and cornices on buildings having been made one of their specialties and their perfect work may be seen on the finest public buildings and private structures in the city.

Mr. Shawver was married in Fayette Coun- ty to Miss Anna E. Amick, who was born, reared and educated in Fayette County, and they have the following children: Lake, who is an electrician with the Carbon Coal Com- pany, on Cabin Creek; Guy E., who repre- sents the company in a commercial way; Will- iam P., who is connected with the Francis Hospital at Springfield, Mo .; and Walter F. and John, both at home. In politics Mr. Shaw- ver is a Republican. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and with his family he be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal church.

J. CHARLES MOHLER, secretary and treasurer of the Mohler Lumber Company, a very important business enterprise of Kanawha County, W. Va., located at Lock Seven, is one of the enterprising young business men of this section. He was born in Augusta County, Va., May 27, 1870, a member of one of the old settled families of that county.

J. Charles Mohler was educated in his native county and came from there to Ka- nawha County in 1888. He had been prac- tically reared in the lumber business and has had his interest centered in this line more or less all his life. He has been identified with

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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY

the Mohler Lumber Company at Lock Seven ever since its organization. He has financial interests at different places, being a stockholder in the Bank of St. Albans and a stockholder and director in the Citizens National Bank of Charleston.

Mr. Mohler was married to Miss Lena Blackwood, of Kanawha County, a daughter of William R. and Henrietta Blackwood, and they have two children, Madeline and Dorothy. After his marriage until 1903, Mr. Mohler lived at Lock Seven, but since then has resided with his family at Charleston. He is a mem- ber, trustee and steward of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Charleston. For many years he has been identified with Masonry and belongs to all the branches at Charleston. In politics he is independent.

JAMES M. LAING, superintendent of the Wyatt Coal Company, operating on Cabin Creek, Kanawha County, W. Va., and who has additional business interests in West Virginia, was born in Scotland, April 19, 1867, and was a babe eight weeks old when the family came to America. His parents were Alex- ander and Elizabeth ( McAlpin) Laing.

Alexander Laing and wife were born also in Scotland and his business was coal mining. In 1867 he came to the United States with his family and located first in Mercer County, Pa., and from there, in 1884 the family came to West Virginia and for three years lived at Blacksburg, in Kanawha County. Removal was then made to Mt. Carbon, where Alexan- der Laing died in 1887. His widow survives and in 1888 moved to Rush Run and her home is with her children as suits her convenience. They were ten in number, as follows: Jennie, who is the wife of R. A. Gilchrist, and resides at McAlpin, W. Va .; John, who resides at Charleston, and is president of the McAlpin Coal Company; James M., subject of this sketch; Elizabeth, who is the wife of David Evendoll, of Sharon, W. Va .; Margaret, who is the wife of W. B. Whitlock, of Fire Creek, W. Va .; Mary, who is the wife of W. H. War- ren, of Richmond, Va .; Bessie, who is the wife of J. D. Humphries, of Hinton, W. Va .; Alexander, who lives at Sharon, W. Va .;

William, who lives at McAlpin, W. Va .; and Anna, who is the wife of w. T. Green, of Charleston.

James M. Laing was given good educational opportunities, attending schools near his father's home and the Normal Schools at Leb- anon, O. In early manhood he entered into the mining business as bank boss at Red Ash. Later he was with the Sun Coal Company as mine boss, and later he became superintendent of the Cunard mines at Brooklyn. In 1906 he became connected officially with the Wyatt Coal Company, of which he is also a stock- holder. Mr. Laing was one of the organizers and is a director of the McAlpin Coal Com- pany, a family business concern, which was named in honor of his mother, and of which John Laing is president; W. H. Warren is vice president and W. T. Green is secretary and treasurer. All the brothers and sisters are connected with Mr. Laing in this enterprise, the company having operated in Raleigh County, W. Va., since its organization in 1908. Mr. Laing is also vice president of the Mc- Gregor Coal Company, operating in Logan County, of which his brother, John Laing, is president, and his brother-in-law, WV. T. Green, is secretary and treasurer. Additionally, Mr. Laing is a stockholder in the McCaa Coal Company, operating in Gilmer County ; a stock- holder in the Capital City Bank, at Charleston ; a stockholder in the New River Banking & Trust Company at Thurman; a director in the F. H. Hammond Notion Company, at Charleston; and a stockholder in the East Norfolk Land Company, at Norfolk, Va. These many interests make him a very busy man; he is well known in commercial circles and his business judgment is relied on by his associates and others.

On August 16, 1898, Mr. Laing was mar- ried to Miss Anna Tamplin, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Davis) Tamplin. Mrs. Laing was born in Ohio and was only six weeks old when her parents brought her to West Virginia. Her father was formerly a civil engineer and later became superintend- ent of the Cannelton Coal Company, in which business connection he remained for a number of years and his family spent a long period

JAMES M. LAING

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in the near vicinity of Charleston, where Mrs. Laing went to school. Her maternal grand- father, David J. Davis, came to West Virginia with a Philadelphia company and opened up the first coal mines at Winifrede, Kanawha County, and William Tamplin came with this company as civil engineer. Mr. and Mrs. Laing have one son, James T. He and wife attend the Presbyterian church. The family residence is at No. 1501 Virginia Street, Charleston. Politically Mr. Laing is a Re- publican, and fraternaly he is a Knight Tem- plar Mason and a "Shriner."

JOHN H. JONES,* deceased, for many years was identified with business interests in West Virginia and for fifteen years was a resident of Charleston, his death occurring at Paris, Texas, where he was representing the C. L. Gregory Vinegar Company as a com- mercial traveler. Mr. Jones was born at Fayetteville, Fayette County, W. Va., Decem- ber 29, 1855, and died March 12, 1910. His parents were Levi and Letha ( Petters) Jones, natives of West Virginia, where they lived and died when aged seventy-five years. The families came originally from Wales. Of the eight children, the late John H. Jones was an intermediate member of the family, four of which are living.

John H. Jones was reared on his father's farm and attended the public schools in Fayette County and a school at Painesville, O. When about twenty years of age he became connected with M. T. Davis and Major Gor- don in their coal operations, and served eighteen years as a superintendent, and then embarked in the mercantile business at Bureg, W. Va., moving five years later to Huron, S. Dak., where he was in the mercantile business for three years. He came back to Fayette County and later became interested with the company with which he remained identified during the rest of his life. In 1904 he pur- chased his beautiful residence known as Fern Bank, which overlooks the Kanawha River. In his political views he was a Republican, and religiously a Baptist.

Mr. Jones was married at Glascoe, Mo., December 8, 1881, to Miss Lillian Haston,

who was born, reared and received a college education there. She is a daughter of Jesse and Julia (Carter) Haston. The former was born in Tennessee and the latter in Maryland, and they were married at Carrolton, Mo., where she was a teacher at that time. They moved then on a farm and lived and died there, he at the age of seventy-seven years and she when aged seventy-five years. He had been married twice previously and was the father of twenty-one children. Mr. and Mrs. Jones had four children born to them, namely : E. Haston, Claude A., Ida Dakota and Roy. Levi. E. Haston Jones was born at Mont- gomery, W. Va., February II, 1883, com- pleted his education at Charleston and is sec- retary and treasurer of the Kanawha Mining Car Company. He was married in Philadel- phia to Eva Marshall, who was born near Lon- don, Eng., and was brought to America by her parents when twelve years old. They have one son, Ward, born April 29, 1911. Claude A. Jones was born October 7, 1885, attended the Charleston schools and the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., where he was graduated as an ensign, in 1906, being one of seventy who graduated nine months prior to the reg- ular class graduation. He is now a lieutenant on the battleship North Carolina, which is sta- tioned at Portsmouth, N. H. Ida Dakota Jones was born September 20, 1897, at Huron, S. Dak., was educated in the High School and a commercial college at Charleston, and is employed in the clerical department of the Ka- nawha Valley Bank. Roy Levi Jones was born September 8, 1891, graduated from the Charleston High School, the University of West Virginia and in 191I became a member of the class of 1914 at Harvard College, in the department of chemical research. Mrs. Jones and family are members of the Presbyterian church.

J. F. WILCOX, M. D., a retired physician residing one mile from Marmet, Loudon Dis- trict, Kanawha County, W. Va., was born at this place, August 23, 1832, and is a son of Luke and Pinkston (Kenner) Wilcox.

The father of Dr. Wilcox was born in New York and came from there to Kanawha Coun-

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HISTORY OF KANAWHA COUNTY

ty when a young man. He became interested in salt making and acquired two salt furnaces, one on the home property and one at Marmet Station, and for seven years prior to his death operated the last named furnace. He was born in 1795 and died in 1854. He married Pinks- ton Kenner, who was born in Virginia, a daughter of James Kenner, and they had seven children, namely: Hezekiah, William, Lu- cinda, Henry, Amelia, Lewis and J. F., the two last named being the only survivors.

J. F. Wilcox was given the best educational advantages then afforded near his home, after which he attended a literary institute. Love of adventure then led him to the far West as a soldier and he participated in 1855 in the famous Battle of the Ash Hollow, with the Indians. He was a member of Co. K, in the 6th U. S. Infantry, called the "Fighting Sixth," which was commanded by Genl. Han- ney in the Indian Campaign. At the end of his term of enlistment, he returned to Marmet, residing here for a short time and then going to Kentucky where he taught school until his health failed. He then went to California where he remained for one year. Returning East again, he embarked in the drug business at Versailles, Ky., and at the same time began the study of medicine, but before he completed his medical education, the Civil War came on and he joined the Confederate Army, and was appointed Chief Clerk of the Commissary of Subsistence under Major W. A. Bradford of General Humphrey Marshall's brigade. He served under him until the spring of 1864 when he joined Co. A, Ist Battalion Ky. Mounted Rifles, of Col. Giltner's brigade which was engaged under Gen. John H. Mor- gan on his last raid into Kentucky. At the bat- tle of Cynthiana, Ky., June 12, 1864, he was taken prisoner and after being confined for six weeks in a Covington hospital, was trans- ported to Camp Douglas, Chicago, where he was kept until the close of the war. His ser- vice covered a period of three years. Upon his return south, he again resumed his drug busi- ness and it was several years before he could complete his medical studies, but, in February, 1883, he was graduated at the University of Louisville, Ky. He then came back to his old

home and until within the past year has been actively engaged in the practice of his pro- fession. In his political views he is a Demo- crat. Dr. Wilcox has never married.

JOHN GRESHAM,* building contractor at Charleston, W. Va., where, with former part- ners and individually he has done a large amount of important and creditable building, was born in Orange county, N. C., in the spring of 1841. He is a son of Robert Gresham, who died in 1843, the death of his wife having oc- curred in the previous year. They left two sons, John and William Thomas, the latter of whom died at Charleston in 1906. He is sur- vived by a widow and two daughters.

John Gresham was reared in the home of family friends in Orange and Wake counties, and obtained his education in local schools. He was twenty years old when he enlisted for service in the Confederate army, first in the 2nd N. C. Vol. Inf., in which he served for two years and then in the 6th N. C. Inf. At the battle of Antietam he was captured by the Federal forces and remained a prisoner until the close of the war. His brother was also a prisoner of war and both were released after the surrender of General Lee, and together re- turned to the south and both learned the carpen- ter trade. In 1865 they came to Charleston and in later years they went into the building and contracting together, an association broken by the death of William Thomas as mentioned above. In 1897 Mr. Gresham went into busi- ness under the firm name of Gresham, Boyde & Co., which organization was dissolved in 1901, when the firm became Gresham & Boyde, general contractors. On May 5th, Mr. Boyde was accidentally killed by a falling beam and since then Mr. Gresham has been alone. To enumerate all the buildings and structures erected by Mr. Gresham and partners since they have been in business would be tiresome but at- tention may be called to the Odd Fellow's Hall and the Kanawha Hotel as samples of their work. Mr. Gresham has been an enterprising business man and a worthy citizen. In his po- litical views he is an independent democrat.

Mr. Gresham was married at Charleston to Miss Acquilla McCommas who was born in

JOHN D. BAINES

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Lucas county, Va., and died at Charleston in 1904, aged seventy-one years. Two daugh- ters survive her. Philena, who is the wife of J. H. Fox, residing at Charleston, and has eight children; and Grace, who is the wife of Will- iam H. Holmes, of Charleston. Mr. Gresham is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, and for some years has been one of the church stewards.

JOHN DUNBAR BAINES, whose death on January 11, 1910, deprived Charleston of one of its best known and most respected citi- zens, was born in Charleston June 1, 1844. He came of an old and respected family whose known ancestry extended back many genera- tions in England, and which was entitled to, and used by virtue of its gentility a coat of arms bearing the Latin motto, "Arma, Furor Min- istrat." They were members of the Anglican church; some of them served as officers in the English army, and others achieved reputation in musical circles as singers or composers.

On the maternal side we find that the Hon. Mathew Dunbar, jurist, was born in Monroe county, Va., near Peter's Mountain, April 3rd, 1791. He was the son of Mathew Dunbar, of Dunbar, Frith of Forth, Scotland, who emigra- ted to America before attaining his majority, and Isabella Herbert. He was educated by the Rev. John McElhenny, D. D., of Presbyterian clerical renown, came to Kanawha county in 1815, studied law under James Wilson, was ad- mitted to the bar, 1818, where he soon at- tained prominence in his profession by his de- cided legal ability, served in the legislature 1822-1828-1829, was commonwealth attorney for Kanawha Judicial Circuit from 1848 till he was forced to resign, on account of ill health, and died in 1859. He married Maria Eu- genia, daughter of William Spence Hutt, and his wife, Constance Etienne Villard, a refugee from Paris during the French Revolution. He was one of the pioneers of democracy in this section, being one of four holding that political faith in Charleston at an early date. Squire Henry Fry was another, the main body of the population being Whig. The family of Dunbar is an ancient and honorable one of Celtic ori- gin, descended from Gospatric, Earl of North-

umberland, and related to Malcom, King of Scotland. Gospatric's father, Maldred, was a brother of the "Gracious King Duncan," his mother being a granddaughter of Ethelred, King of England. (Burke.)

William Spence Hutt, another old-time res- ident of Kanawha county, was born in West- moreland county, Va., in 17-, and was sixth in descent from Councillor Thos. Gerrard, who, by way of digression, let us state, was one of the original "Founders of Maryland," and proprietor of one of the first colonial grants, of 11,400 acres of land in St. Mary's County, Md., known as St. Clement's Manor. Dr. Ger- rard was a man of power and note in the province, and those who are familiar with the early history of Maryland will remember his participation in the Rebellion of Josias Fen- dall, an abortive attempt to usurp the govern- ment of Lord Baltimore, and his consequent banishment, with many of his colleagues. Dr. Gerrard, sighting danger afar, had previously obtained a grant of land in Westmoreland county, Va., as a place of refuge for himself and his family. It may be added, that St. Clement's Manor is notable in the preservation of its entire records of "Court Leet" and "Court Barron," which records may be found in the Historical Society of Maryland at An- napolis. Dr. Gerrard's daughter married Dan- iel Hutt, Gent., and merchant of London, 1669. William Spence Hutt held the offices of Constable and Sheriff of Kanawha county, 1836-1838. He was a man of most positive character and convictions, and there are nu- merous humorous anecdotes related concern- ing his efforts at compelling others to see things from his own view-point. His grand- daughter, Eugenia Llewellyn, daughter of Mathew Dunbar, married Ebenezer Baines, of London, England. Mr. Baines was born about 1815, and emigrated to the West India Islands when still a youth, having been sent on a com- mission by the British Government. About 1830 he settled in Charleston, where he was associated with the early Donnallys in the salt- making industry. He died in 1893, leaving one son, the late lamented John Dunbar Baines. Ebenezer Baines was a man of quiet domestic tastes, and was never naturalized, but contin-

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ued to consider himself a British subject to the end of his life. He was descended from Thomas Hobbes, the celebrated non-conformist divine and author, 1588-1679, and was related to Edward Baines, editor of the "Leeds Mer- cury," 1718, of Leeds, England. The fam- ily is of Gaelic origin.

Ebenezer and Eugenia L. (Dunbar) Baines had three children-Henry Dunbar, A. Maria, and John Dunbar Baines, our direct subject. Henry Dunbar Baines was born in Charleston, W. Va. He served in the Confederate army, being a member of a battery regiment, and in one engagement was severely wounded, from the effects of which his death took place some years later in England. While in the military service he was attached for a time to the Ordnance Department of the Confederate Government and invented a gun which was much used in the army. He died unmarried. A. Maria Baines is still a resident of Charles- ton. For a number of years she was a suc- cessful teacher.

John Dunbar Baines, whose nativity has been already given, acquired his education in Charleston under private tutors, including the well known David L. Ruffner. For a time he taught school, later becoming proprietor of a book store. Subsequently he studied law, was admitted to the bar and served for some time as county judge and commissioner. He was also interested in various business enter- prises, being vice president of the Kanawha National Bank, and secretary and treasurer of the Southern States Life Insurance Company. He was instrumental in getting a bridge con- structed across the Kanawha river and in the installation of the first telephone service in this section; also inducing the Kelley Ax Com- pany to locate in Charleston; and in many other ways he showed an aggressive public spirit in advancing the material interests of the city. As a recognition by his fellow citizens of his efforts in their behalf he was elected mayor of Charleston in 1880 and gave the city a good business administration.

Mr. Baines stood high in the Masonic order, advancing through all the various degrees of the York Rite and nearly all in the Scottish Rite. He held membership in Kanawha Lodge

No. 20, F. & A. M .; Tyrian Chapter, No. 13, R. A. M .; Kanawha Commandery, NO. 4, K. T .; Beni-Kedem Temple, M. S .; Quel Squier Long Lodge of Perfection, and the higher A. A. Scottish Rite bodies of Wheeling, w. Va., passing all the chairs to Senior Grand Warden of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge and Excellent Grand Master of the Third veil in the Most Excellent Grand Royal Arch Chap- ter of West Virginia, all of which he held with honor and benefit to the order. It has been said of him:

"Tender as a woman; manliness and meek- ness In him were so allied,

That they who judged him by his strength or weakness, Saw but a single side."

He had charge of the Government relief boat during the great flood in the "eighties," and had charge also of disbursing the sup- plies. Naturally a Democrat and Free Trader, a man active in the councils of his party, he later became much interested in the success of the Prohibition movement, and was an elector of that party in 1884 when Gov. St. John, of Kansas, ran for President on that ticket. In religion he was what is sometimes termed a "blue blood" Presbyterian.

The following tribute to Mr. Baines' per- sonal worth was contributed to this article by "A Friend :"

"The writer of this article for forty years knew intimately the late John Dunbar Baines, and esteems it an honor to have been consid- ered as one of his friends. As a citizen, he was upright, public spirited and courageous in ad- vocating civic righteousness. Endo" ed by na- ture with a strong intellect, cultured by years of study and with a well trained mind. he was a wise counsellor, and his advice was often sought and implicitly relied upon.

"To his friends he was true and steadfast. binding them to himself with bonds that only death could sever. He was an entertaining conversationalist, and his company was often sought by his friends and acquaintances. ' As a Mason, he was well versed in Masonic law and

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was easily the leader in all of the various Ma- sonic bodies of which he was a member.

"He was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, West Virginia, and by his godly walk and conversation he was an exemplar to all who were without. Well versed in the Scriptures, he could, without any spe- cial preparation, elucidate the most difficult verse from the Bible.

"In all the various relations of life, as son, brother, husband, father, citizen or friend, he was a model man-a Christian gentleman."

Mr. Baines was married in Charleston to Harriet Laidley, who was born in Charleston sixty-three years ago and who has always been a resident of this city, being still active in body and mind. She is the daughter of Hon. James Madison Laidley, born in Wood county, W. Va., who was a prominent lawyer and poli- tician, a member of the legislature in 1848, be- ing elected on the Whig ticket. During the war he served in the army as quartermaster. Mrs. Baines' mother was in maidenhood Anna Marie Beuhring, a native of Cabell county, W. Va

Mr. and Mrs. John Dunbar Baines were the parents of one child, Alys, who was born in Charleston, is well educated and is a lady of culture and refinement, being an extensive reader. She is a member of the society known as the Daughters of the Confederacy and she and her mother belong to the First Presby- terian church.

WILLIAM B. GATEWOOD,* deceased, for many years a well known resident of Cabin Creek District, Kanawha County, W. Va., was born near the farm of ninety acres, which is owned and managed by his widow, January 17, 1835, and was a son of Ransom and Jane B. Gatewood, pioneers of this section of the county and the first settlers in this im- mediate neighborhood.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 128

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066